How I Fell in Love with the Cinema

 

How I Fell in Love with the Cinema

My great father of blessed memory, Sunday "Sunny" Eke loved going to cinemas almost daily, because he loved movies; especially #Hollywood western cowboys movies of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, war films and #Bollywood movies such as "Sholay" and "Seeta aur Geeta" and I loved the Bollywood legends; Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini,, Dharmendra Singh Deol , Sanjeev Kumar and lest I forget the most celebrated nautch dancer in Hindi romantic films, Helen Anne Richardson Khan.  My father never sat down to watch any movie on TV. He would just glance at the popular Bonanza western cowboys series and Combat series on World War 2.

I still miss every member of the Cartwright family in Bonanza played by Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon who have all passed on. They were household names in Lagos as the thrilling series ran on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Channel 10. 

My father often took his family along with him to the nearby cinemas on the Lagos Island in the 1970s. My mother of blessed memory, Mrs. Gladys Eke would straddle her youngest child on her back whilst my father would hold me and my younger sister by our hands with my oldest brother, Nnamdi Godwin Eke walking excitedly in front of us to the nearest Kings Cinema on Lewis Street in Lafiaji. The cinema had a popular side with wooden seats in the open under the sky and covered side with wooden seats behind the popular side. Whenever it was raining, those on the popular side rushed to spaces in the covered side. Whenever there were hitches or bad pictures during screenings, the audience shouted "Operator!"  To call the projectionist to fix it and give us good screenings. If my father did not like any of the movies on the posters in the Kings Cinema, he would take us to the nearby Sheila Cinema on the Broad Street, Royale Cinema off the Broad Street or the fully covered Plaza Cinema with upholstery seats where movie-goers paid more for tickets with popcorns and soft drinks. 

My father wanted me to become a lawyer, but instead of taking me to the nearby High Court and Supreme Court, he was taking me to the cinemas to watch movies. The path he led me defined the direction of my future occupation.

My first job was working as a TV puppeteer and scriptwriter for NTA Channel 10 and then producing cartoon strips and comics for the leading children's magazines in Nigeria inspired by Walt Disney and Stan Lee of Marvel comics. And the passion for Hollywood and Bollywood led to our own Nollywood which was started by TV producers and directors in NTA Channel 10 with the first home videos by Yoruba and Hausa producers in the middle of the 1980s before the blockbuster, "Living in Bondage" of 1992 directed by Chris Obi Rapu of NTA Channel 10, written and coproduced by Kenneth Nnebue and Okechukwu Ogunjiofor and sponsored by Jafac Wine. And the sequel of 1993 was directed by Christian Chika Onu, also of NTA Channel 10. Chika Onu now has a PhD in film studies and we are coauthors of "Naked Beauty", the first Nigerian screenplay to be published as a book for commercial distribution.  And following my passion for the cinema, I became a film writer since 2008, writing on movies, The Academy Awards (I accurately predicted the winner of the Oscars for the Best Picture and Best Director in 2017 won by Guillermo del Toro for "The Shape of Water"), Cannes Film Festival and other film festivals and having my articles published by Indiewire, Shadow & Act, Black Film Maker, Nigeria Films, Modern Ghana and on my blogs, Nigerians Report Online, Nigerian Times and TALK OF THE TOWN By Orikinla. I started publishing the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series, the first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry in 2013 when I also began organising Nigerian premières of international award winning documentary films with focus on the promotion of the education, protection and welfare of the underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria and cohosted over 1000 secondary school girls at the Nigerian premières of "Girl Rising" to celebrate the annual United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child for the first time in Nigeria on October 11, 2013 at the Silverbird Cinemas in the Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island, Lagos; "He Named Me MALALA" documentary film of Malala Yousafzai to celebrate the 2015 United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child at the Silverbird Cinemas in the Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island and the Nigerian première of the Canadian Giselle Portenier's award winning documentary film, "In The Name Of Your Daughter" on May 23, 2019 at the Silverbird Cinemas in the Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island.

I have insisted on having these premières gratis without collecting any money from the secondary school students or their schools. We spent more than N1m on hosting the students and the teachers who accompanied them to have free popcorns and soft drinks with biscuits And we provided free transport in 2015 and 2019.

Bringing hundreds of secondary school girls and their teachers to the cinemas is promoting the appreciation for cinema culture in Nigeria and increasing the sociocultural and economic development of the Nigerian film industry. 

We need to promote the appreciation of the cinema on it's own terms of scale of preference for cinephiles above TV and OTT online streaming services. Because as clearly defined and distinguished by the theatrical size and sociocultural importance, the cinema is unique for maximum entertainment and the romantic ambience of total cinematic experience. No TV or streamer can give you the awesome entertainment of an IMAX  theatre or 4DX cinema.

- By ENYERENGOZI Michael Michael Chima, Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series and 247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter

https://mobile.twitter.com/247nigeria

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima.

True Nation Builders Are Not Political Noisemakers

@MBuhari@ProfOsinbajo@atiku@GarShehu@NTANewsNow@CNN@USinNigeria

True nation builders are not political noisemakers.
They don't ask for signatures for useless petitions.
We even rescued a school girl from Libya in 2016 without climbing Mount Everest.https://t.co/7FPBqLPGjN pic.twitter.com/aSr0liDmw6

— 247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) September 18, 2020

 

From Nollywood To Netflix: Mo Abudu, Genevieve Nnaji and Others

Nollywood, as Nigeria’s film industry is known, is increasingly renowned for the quality of its output as much as its quantity. Netflix recently bought the rights to Nigeria’s two highest-grossing films, “The Wedding Party” (2016) and its sequel (2017), as well as the much-praised “Lionheart” (2018). 

The number of immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa in America shot from 265,000 in 1990 to 2m in 2018 (375,000 are Nigerians, the largest single group).

Between 2001 and 2011 the African-born population of England and Wales rose from 800,000 to 1.3m (the Nigerian contingent more than doubled). “Once you blow in Nigeria you almost automatically blow in London,” says Joey Akan, founder of Afrobeats Intelligence, a newsletter. Since it remains hard to make money in Nigeria, he adds, its artists must reach the diaspora.

The application of “Lionheart” for an Oscar for best international film was turned down because most of the dialogue is in English (with a smattering of Igbo). In response, Genevieve Nnaji, who directed and stars in it, observed: “We did not choose who colonised us.” ■

Continue reading on 
https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/09/19/african-entertainers-are-wowing-global-audiences

COVID-19 Could Not Stop The New Unicorns!

In January, I said 2020 will be the Year of the Unicorns before the @who declared the COVID-19 pandemic and many businesses were shutdown in the #lockdown and several ventures have been suspended until further notice. But the COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the good news of new Unicorn Startups which I have been sharing on my @247nigeria on Twitter. Over 90 percent of the new Unicorns are in the United States of America. They are exciting and inspiring! But African Americans and Hispanics are still lagging behind. 

My two tech projects have the projections of becoming Unicorns.. There are high expectations for them, but in the highly competitive tech industry, Seeing is Believing. 

Don't just TALK, let us see the WORK. 

It is always best not to mention the specifics of your tech projects that are still in incubation period until you are ready to launch them. It is great to believe in your dreams. And your dreams will be greater when you have others who believe in them with you. 

I am the only black in my team and I thank Almighty God, my team believes in my visionary leadership since 2014 to now. They are even more anxious than me. But I tell them; Yes, it is good to strike when the iron is hot. But it would be best to strike at the right time. 

"If I determine the enemy’s disposition of forces while I have no perceptible form, I can concentrate my forces while the enemy is fragmented. The pinnacle of military deployment approaches the formless: if it is formless, then even the deepest spy cannot discern it nor the wise make plans against it." 

—Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”.

PS: A unicorn is a term in business world to indicate a privately held startup company valued at over $1 billion.

The Anzisha Prize Announces Top 20 Finalists for 2020

 

ANZISHA PRIZE ANNOUNCES TOP 20 VERY YOUNG AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURS AS PART of 10^th YEAR CELEBRATION

 

 Meet the new cohort of very young entrepreneurs whose businesses are paving a new entrepreneurial landscape in Africa

 

Johannesburg, South Africa - The Anzisha Prize has revealed its top 20 finalists for 2020. Winners will be announced at this year’s Anzisha Prize Conference on the 27^th of October, where the programme will be celebrating 10 years of supporting very young entrepreneurs.

 

This year’s application season saw a record number of 1 200 applicants vying for a chance to join the Anzisha Prize fellowship. From these applications, 20 businesses emerged that were forty-five percent female-owned and represented sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and education. Young entrepreneurs from Morocco, South Africa and Tanzania displayed impressive ventures that are tackling critical issues within their communities while also turning a profit. Through their businesses and entrepreneurial leadership skills, these job starters are paving a way for other young Africans to pursue entrepreneurship.

 

Selected as a top 20 finalist is 21-year-old Alaa Moatamed who is the co-founder of Presto, a company she describes as one of the leading delivery management platforms in Egypt. The venture provides business owners with an affordable and convenient delivery service for their customers. Joining Alaa is 20-year-old Benjamin Mushayija Gisa from Rwanda who manufactures and packages natural organic products for consumption and for cosmetic purposes in the form of lotions and coconut soap.

 

“2020 has seen a global shift in the future of work. This year’s applicants have personified the resilience and innovation that Africa needs as we navigate our way into a post-COVID-19 future,” says Melissa Mbazo-Ekepenyong, Deputy Director of the Anzisha Prize.

 

For the past decade, the Anzisha Prize, which is a partnership between African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation, has championed and supported very young African entrepreneurs such as Alaa and Benjamin. The programme has supported 122 entrepreneurs and 77 of those businesses have created over 2 000 jobs, with 56% of those being employment provided for young Africans under 25.

 

Peter Materu, Chief Program Officer, Mastercard Foundation says, “The success of the Anzisha Prize over the last decade stands as a resounding testament to the creativity and entrepreneurial potential of Africa’s very young people—a hugely under-tapped resource. Through Anzisha, we’re reminded of what they can achieve when challenged and enabled to own and solve the problems they see around them. Now, as ever, the innovations that have emerged through the Anzisha Prize inspire and renew our faith in and commitment to their promise.”

 

This year, the top 20 will gather virtually from their various countries to share knowledge and learn from expert coaches and mentors as they prepare for their final pitches to a panel of external judges. All the entrepreneurs will receive a cash prize of $2 500. The grand prize winner will receive $25 000, while the 1st runner and 2nd runner receive $15 000 and $12 500 respectively.

 

As the programme celebrates its 10th year, the announcement of the grand prize winner will take place at the Anzisha Prize Conference on the 27^th of October. This will be a virtual gathering of key stakeholders within the youth entrepreneurship community.

 

As an advocate of young people starting businesses and hiring their peers to combat youth unemployment, the Anzisha Prize is confident that these top 20 entrepreneurs exemplify the importance of young Africans choosing entrepreneurship to build sustainable businesses.

 

To see who will be crowned the grand prize winner, register for the Anzisha Prize Conference and vote for your favourite entrepreneur at anzisha.org/Top20

 

The 2020 finalists for the Anzisha Prize are:

Mustapha Zeroual, 22, Morocco: Founder of IA4YOU, a business/social initiative that designs different systems and digital platforms using artificial intelligence.

Aseitu Olivia Kipo, 22, Ghana: Founder of agribusiness Kobaa-Ok that focuses on the production and sales of vegetables and providing training and advisory services for other agri-entrepreneurs with farming businesses.

Omonlola Loïs Aniambossou, 21, Benin: Founder of Abiathar Services, a business that offers installation, monitoring and repair services for owners of electrical appliances.

Ian Khonje, 20, Malawi: Founder of an innovative agri-business called Ian Khonje Food Processers (IKFP) that procures raw baobab from smallholder farmers - both within Malawi and from Mozambique - and produces and packages baobab jam.

Mohamed Bah, 22, Sierra Leone: Founder of Information For All (IFA) an NGO that constructs drills and repairs water wells and toilets - enabling water sustainability and hygiene for water deprived communities.

Benjamin Mushayija Gisa, 21, Rwanda: founder of Kaso, a manufacturing company that manufactures and packages natural organic products both for consumption (e.g. honey, tea, oils, baking soda) and for cosmetic purposes (e.g. lotions, bee wax, coconut soap).

Joshua Adabie Armah, 22, Ghana: founder of PopKing Ghana, a business that sells fresh popcorn in multiple flavors to vendors in Ghana.

Adjei Nyamekye, 17, Ghana: founder of Mosquito Trapping and Emergency LED Bulbs, an initiative that sells state of the art light bulbs that provide 12 hours of emergency electricity during power outages and trap mosquitoes.

Wilfred Chege, 20, Kenya: co-founder of Shulemall Limited, an e-commerce platform that sells uniforms, textbooks, stationary, etc. for students in boarding schools.

Abdelouahab Toukkart, 22, Morocco: founder of Isla Pack, a business that processes used industrial paper into boxes and wrappings for confectionery items.

Mahlatse Matlakana, 22, South Africa: the founder of Wozilex, an agri-business that produces and sells vegetables.

Abdul Dumbuya, 21, Sierra Leone: co-founder of a social enterprise that produces raw ginger and processes it into ginger powder. The social enterprise uses 25% of its generated revenue to support educational programs.

Saly Sarr, 22, Senegal: founder of SallyMaa, a fashion brand that designs and manufactures leather accessories such as heels and sandals for women of all ages.

Frida Agbor-Ebai Nenembou, 20, Cameroon: founder of Supreme Sparkle, a multifaceted business that offers tailoring, salon and spa services.

Jonathan Paul Katumba, 22, Uganda: founder of Minute5 - an online grocery delivery service with a focus on fresh farm products. Minute5 sources fresh fruits, vegetables, and other produce from small scale farmers and then delivers to consumers and businesses.

Alaa Moatamed, 21, Egypt: co-founder of Presto, one of the leading delivery management platforms in Egypt. The venture enables business owners to provide an affordable and convenient delivery service to their customers.

Hamidu Biha, 22, Uganda: founder of Biha Eco Venture, an innovative recycling company that uses poultry eggshells to make various eco-friendly products including eco-charcoal and eco-tiles.

David Denis, 22, Tanzania: founder of Cutoff Recycle, a Tanzania-based human hair waste recycling venture.

Matina Razafimahefa, 22, Madagascar: founder of an innovative EdTech venture based in Madagascar. The business sources, trains, and produces highly equipped young Africans in industry-specific digital skills.

Ijeje Hephzibah, 20, Nigeria: Co-founder of Recyclift, a Nigerian based recycling company with the sole focus of recycling plastic bottles and plastic bottle caps.

Keep up with the latest news on our website and social media at @anzishaprize.

 

Media Contact

Didi Onwu

African Leadership Academy

prize@anzishaprize.org or donwu@africanleadershipacademy.org

www.anzishaprize.org

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About the Anzisha Prize

The Anzisha Prize is delivered by African Leadership Academy in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. Through the Anzisha Prize, the organisers seek to fundamentally and significantly increase the number of job generative entrepreneurs in Africa. They believe that a key to doing so is to test, implement, and then share models for identifying, training and connecting high potential, very young entrepreneurs (15 to 22-year olds) so that many more organisations have better collective success in creating a pipeline of entrepreneurs with the capabilities for scale.

 

About African Leadership Academy

African Leadership Academy (ALA) seeks to transform Africa by developing a powerful network of entrepreneurial leaders who will work together to achieve extraordinary social impact. Each year, ALA brings together the most promising young leaders from all 54 African nations for a pre-university program in South Africa with a focus on leadership, entrepreneurship and African studies. ALA continues to cultivate these leaders throughout their lives, in university and beyond, by providing on-going leadership and entrepreneurial training and connecting them to high-impact networks of people and capital that can catalyse large-scale change. For more information, visit http://africanleadershipacademy.org.

 

About Mastercard Foundation

Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to provide greater access to education, skills training, and financial services for people living in poverty, primarily in Africa. As one of the largest private foundations, its work is guided by its mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. Based in Toronto, Canada, its independence was established by Mastercard when the Foundation was created in 2006. For more information and to sign up for the Foundation's newsletter, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org. Follow the Foundation at @MastercardFdn on Twitter.

 

Riskcheck: Regional Security Report On Nigeria

Riskcheck: Regional Security Report On Nigeria NORTH EAST During the week under review, the Ground Forces (GF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE reportedly had several successful confrontations with the BHT groups which led to the rescue of some kidnapped victims. These confrontations seem to have led to the minimal number of attacks on civilians recorded during this period.   It was also reported that the school pupils of Chibok community successfully participated in their first West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination since the kidnap of the Chibok girls in April 2014. The attacks on Dalori on the eastern part of Borno and Kareto on the northern part of Borno states demonstrates BHTs presence across the state and confirms their capability to undertake isolated attacks. There was also a reported raid on kidnapper/robbers hideout in Taraba State.

Award-Winners at Durban FilmMart 2020

Award-Winners at Durban FilmMart Announced

13 September, 2020.

After 10 days packed with virtual panel discussions, conversations, presentations, pitches, and meetings, the 11th Durban FilmMart ended on a high with the announcement of the 2020 Official Awards for Projects on Sunday, 13 September.

Venice International Film Festival 2020: Full List of the Winners

The 77th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 2 to 12 September, 2020 on the Venice Lido.
Closing Ceremony.
Date: Sat, 12 September • 6:00 pm WAT
Location: Lido di Venezia, Italy.
Host: Anna Foglietta.

Golden Lion
Nomadland directed by Chloé Zhao.

Global Rate of Alcoholism is Worse than COVID-19 Pandemic

@MBuhari@ProfOsinbajo@NTANewsNow
Alcoholism is worse than #COVID19@WHO reports that alcohol consumption contributes to 3 million deaths each year globally as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people.
More than 1.5 million cases per year in Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/GRbRkEKXv2

— 247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) September 13, 2020

Dr. Mrs. Aisha Buhari: The Most Beautiful First Lady in the History of Nigeria Since Independence

The Most Beautiful First Lady in the History of Nigeria Since Independence

A major fact majority of people don't know about Her Excellency, Dr. Mrs. Aisha Buhari .
She hails from Adamawa State, a great granddaughter of Ardo Hamza, District Head of Balala and the granddaughter of the first Minister of Defense, Muhammadu Ribadu, MBE. The popular Ribadu Road in Ikoyi on the Lagos Island is named after him. The road is off the major Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.